Blizzard's Heroes of the Storm arrives on June 2
After substantial testing, with even more to come in a final beta period starting on May 20, Blizzard's very own MOBA game (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) has now a received a launch date. That date is set to the June 2, just in time for summer to kick in for real.
Although it was born though a mod for Warcraft III, the MOBA genre has been dominated by League of Legends and Dota 2 for several years now, but through their signature blend of catering to newcomers and diehard fans alike, Blizzard hope to conquer the almighty MOBA throne for themselves.
The release date was revealed in a press release today:
"Rally your fellow heroes and get ready for battle, because the portal to the Nexus is about to bust wide open! Blizzard Entertainment announced today that Heroes of the Storm will officially launch on June 2, following an open beta testing period beginning May 20. The free-to-play online team brawler brings together a diverse cast of iconic characters from Blizzard's far-flung realms of science fiction and fantasy, including the Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diablo universes, and challenges them to compete in epic, adrenaline-charged battles.
Heroes of the Storm invites players to customize heroes to suit their style and then team up with friends for some all-out mayhem. The game features a variety of gameplay modes for players of every skill level, including Cooperative, in which players team up against computer-controlled opponents, and Quick Match, an accessible way to jump in and play versus others. Experienced players can also join forces against other teams of players in highly competitive, draft-style ranked play.
"With its focus on team play and fast-paced fun, Heroes of the Storm is a fresh take on a very popular genre," said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. "We've built Heroes of the Storm in a way that makes it accessible to new players, but also challenging enough for veterans who really want to put their skills to the test. We can't wait to see what Heroes brings to the co-op and competitive scenes once the Nexus opens up to everyone."
"Heroes of the Storm will launch with more than 30 playable Heroes and 7 dynamic Battlegrounds, each with unique challenges to overcome-and even more Heroes and Battlegrounds are on the way. Players can customize the look of their Heroes with a variety of skins, as well as switch between a stable of special mounts that help them cover ground on the battlefield more quickly."
Alongside the release Blizzard will host a live-streamed event in London on the June 1. More info on that will be revealed closer to the launch date.
